Built in 1299 by the Silvestrines, the Church of San Marco has been restored upon the decision of Cosimo de Medici who commissioned Michelozzo to handle the project during the first half of the 15th century. The value of the respective edifice is far from being exhausted by its significance as religious establishment. On the contrary, San Marco is a genuine living museum which clusters a fair amount of works of religious art which should not be overlooked by those who want to get a proper image of the extent of Florentine art. The museum proper is delineated by the old part of the edifice, though the extensive work of Fra Angelico, the contribution of which is the most notable to the artistic value of the place, and the one pertaining to Fra Bartolomeo exceed the confines of the museum as such.

For instance, the Crucifixion scene, on the one hand, and the painting rendering St Dominic at the Foot of the Cross, as well as the Ecce Homo fresco, on the other hand, all of these created by Fra Angelico, embellish the Chapterhouse and the Cloister of St. Antonio, respectively. Fra Angelico is again the one who has embellished the dormitories (cells) used by the monks, as well as the Pilgrim’s Hospice. Fra Bartolomeo is visible by its Madonna with St. Anne and other Saints in Sala dei Lavabo and by a Last Judgment scene in the Great Refectory. The Last Supper in the Small Refectory pertains to Ghirlandaio, the presence of which enhances the artistic rating of the establishment. All in all, this is an objective which is worth visiting on a par with the Uffizi Gallery, for instance.

Name:
Church of San Marco
Address:
1 Piazza San Marco, Florence
Telephone:
0039 (0)55 238 8608
Fax:
0039 (0)55 2388704
Website:
www.polomuseale.firenze.it